Humble Beginnings

A number of week's ago, I made the comment that I would post some pictures of my very first home. It probably has to be seen to be believed. LOL.

Yes, it looks a bit like a tin shed and in essence, I guess it was. A lined tin shed. Inside, it looks very much like a regular house.

You can't really tell from these photo's but this is built in somebody's backyard. A lot of places in Whyalla can be accessed by a back lane and it was quite common for a smaller dwelling to be built and lived in while the larger dwelling was then built on the front of the block.



Here is the view of the "front" door (it only had 1 external door). Standing at the front door you'd be looking at the back of the main house (with a fence in between the 2 yards in this instance). This actually made the perfect first home for me as I knew the people that lived in the main house. They were my landlords but also my friends (and their eldest son was page boy in my wedding). I *think* my rent was $45 a week back then (around 15 years ago). I was getting just over $200 a fortnight from Austudy so money was tight but I LOVED my little house.


Here is a shot of the lounge room. You came in the front door to a largish room that served as both a lounge and dining room. The lounge suite and coffee table were my parents cast offs. The TV and TV cabinet were mine - bought with some money my parents gave me out of my grandparents estate.






This is the dining area and you can see the doorway into the kitchen in the background. Lovely orange chairs!!! Again, cast offs from my parents.

As I was looking through my photo's, it struck me how almost everything I owned was second hand. Even the tablecloth and chair cushions you can see in this photo were second hand. :-)

The photo of the kitchen (which I haven't put here because I'm in it - and it's not a great shot of me lol) shows a towel pegged up to the window to keep the warm sun out. LOL. Obviously my solution for "make shift" curtains at the time.

Yet I didn't ever see what I *didn't* have. I didn't come home each day and see a tin shed filled with an eclectic mix of cast-offs. What I saw was HOME. MY HOME. My little place in the world. It's interesting looking back and confirming the fact that it isn't fancy stuff that makes a home. A heart is what makes a home.

I truly loved this little place and it's filled with many wonderful memories. I'll always treasure the time I had here. It was the only home I've ever lived in alone. I was 18 and a half when I moved into this house and it really was a great decision to do so. I'm really pleased to be able to look back on my life and remember with fondness this humble little abode. :-)